HIS MERCIES ARE NEW EVERYDAY
“If you, Lord, kept a record of sins, Lord, who could stand? But with you there is forgiveness, so that we can, with reverence, serve you.” Psalms 130:3-4 NIV
Mercy is God not giving us what we deserve. Grace is God giving us what we do not deserve.
Psalm 130 is a psalm that showcases the emotional distress of a man who has become deeply aware of his sin and seeks not to merely defend himself, but to lean in and receive God’s forgiveness and mercy.
What is striking is that the psalmist does not begin by minimizing his failure or rehearsing his good deeds. He begins in the depths, honest, exposed, and aware that if God were to deal with him strictly, he would not survive. Yet instead of despair, this realization drives him toward hope. He anchors his confidence not in his ability to stand, but in God’s willingness to forgive.
This is the heart of the gospel: forgiveness is not the denial of justice, but the doorway to reverent obedience. God forgives not so that we may live casually before Him, but so that we may serve Him with awe, gratitude, and humility. Each new day becomes an invitation, not to try again in our own strength, but to rise on fresh mercy.
Psalm 130 reminds us that repentance is not the end of the story. Waiting on the Lord, trusting His character, and hoping in His mercy is how God gently restores the soul. His mercies are not exhausted by yesterday’s failures. They meet us anew, every morning.
Prayer: My Lord, I thank you for your mercy. I thank you for not keeping a record of our sins for none would stand. I thank you that you meet us with mercy and cover us with grace. Teach our hearts to wait on you, to trust your forgiveness, and to serve you with reverence born from gratitude. Thank you that your mercies are new every day. We lean into them today, not with fear, but with hope, through Christ who died for us. Amen!
CI.
RELATED RESOURCES
• Isaiah 1:18
• Romans 2:4
• 2 Corinthians 5:17
